Love Island (The Morning Show)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Episode 5
| "Love Island" | |
|---|---|
| The Morning Show episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Stacie Passon |
| Written by | Zander Lehmann |
| Cinematography by | Tami Reiker |
| Editing by | Henk Van Eeghen |
| Original release date | October 4, 2023 |
| Running time | 53 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Love Island" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American drama television series The Morning Show, inspired by Brian Stelter's 2013 book Top of the Morning. It is the 25th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Zander Lehmann, and directed by Stacie Passon. It was released on Apple TV+ on October 4, 2023.
The series follows the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program, The Morning Show. After allegations of sexual misconduct, the male co-anchor of the program, Mitch Kessler, is forced off the show. It follows Mitch's co-host, Alex Levy, and a conservative reporter Bradley Jackson, who attracts the attention of the show's producers after a viral video. In the episode, Bradley's relationship with Laura is depicted at the beginning of 2020, while also detailing Cory's relationship with his realtor.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided by the writing and themes of the episode. For the episode, Reese Witherspoon and Karen Pittman received nominations at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) continues co-hosting the show with Laura (Julianna Margulies), who is hosting from her house in Montana. Bradley has also informed Cory (Billy Crudup) that despite his love confession, she is just interested in being his friend, devastating him.
Bradley later moves to Montana to stay with Laura at her house. They co-host the show together, raising rumors about their possible relationship. which they later confirm during a broadcast. They report many events such as the summer wildfires, the lockdowns in Pennsylvania, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. While they can enjoy time together, Bradley is offended that Laura does not believe her family is a good influence on her. Some time later, Bradley is devastated to learn that her mother died from COVID and gets into a heated argument with Laura. When Laura insults her mother, Bradley decides to leave the house.
Cory looks to buy a house in the Hamptons and ends up dating his realtor, Salma (Sasha Alexander). She in turn introduces him to his neighbor, Paul Marks (Jon Hamm). Needing content for UBA+, he convinces Stella (Greta Lee) to air the documentary with Mitch's last interview, despite her protests. Mia (Karen Pittman) spends time with her boyfriend, Andre (Clive Standen), but they get into an argument over the toxic nature of the network. This prompts Andre to ignore COVID protocols and go to a bar, forcing her to sleep at the station. Later, Andre announces that he will leave for a project in Afghanistan, upsetting her.
Bradley moves to Washington, D.C. to report the 2020 presidential election. She is in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when a mob forces its way inside. As she records the events, she is shocked to find Hal (Joe Tippett) as one of the protestors. She takes him to her hotel room, confronting him as he could face life in prison for attacking an officer. Hal confesses that his girlfriend is pregnant, prompting Bradley to delete the video showing Hal in the Capitol. She delivers the rest of the material to Stella, but the FBI requests all of the video footage. She visits Cory at his house to explain that she had to delete Hal's video. An angry Cory agrees to cover for her to the FBI by giving them pre-existing videos, but coldly dismisses her from his house.
Development
Production
The episode was written by co-executive producer Zander Lehmann, and directed by Stacie Passon. This was Lehmann's first writing credit, and Passon's first directing credit.[1]